Poetry of Ma'arri:Enga to Dis

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

In this course, we will read, translate and interpret selected works from the two celebrated poetry collections of the blind Syrian ascetic poet Abu al-`Ala’ al-Ma’arri (d. 1058 CE). We will examine his youthful collection, Saqt al-Zand (Sparks of the Flint) in light of performative poetics as the young al-Maarri performs the obligations of kinship, friendship and politics through the form of the Arabic ode (qasida). We will then examine his poetics of withdrawal and disengagement when, after failing to make a place for himself in the highly competitive poetic circles of Baghdad, he returns to his provincial hometown of Ma`arrat al-Nu`man and withdraws into an embittered, ascetic and contemplative life. This is the setting for his renowned double-rhymed collection, al-Luzumiyyat (Compulsories), in which short pieces, rhyming in all the consonants of the Arabic alphabet and vowel endings, range from piety to skepticism, from the sincere to the sardonic. Course requirements: attendance and participation 30%; three 6-7 page essays 45%; final project 25%. Prerequisite: reading knowledge of Classical Arabic